Breast Milk Sharing

I attended a very interesting seminar last night on Breast Milk Sharing.

A very busy, beautiful woman with three children took time out of her day to tell us about her experience with Eats On Feets. This was the network of breast milk sharing women that worked best for her in Western Australia.  

I have to admit, when I first hear about sharing of human breast milk I was a little concerned.

The authentic and honest account of a mother that could not feed her own children was very inspiring.

The presentation gave an overview of the process and the risks involved. Basically, it came down to the level of trust you have in another human being. It is like a mini surrogacy journey, hopefully with less emotions involved.

Eats On Feets: Connecting Babies and Breast Milk. A Perfect Match!

Eats On Feets is a world-wide network for those who have made the informed choice to share breast milk.

“Community breast milk sharing works because mothers, fathers, professionals, communities, caring citizens and people just like YOU are joining together to help ensure that babies have access to commerce-free breast milk. Babies need breast milk to maintain optimum health. Parents and professionals know this! Every day, women from around the world selflessly donate thousands of ounces of breast milk directly to babies. With Eats On Feets, these donations are commerce-free, just as nature intended, and they are making a huge difference in the lives of babies and their families.”

http://eatsonfeets.org

There is a great resources page that identifies the best way to handle the milk and ensure the best possible milk for your baby.

http://www.eatsonfeetsresources.org

eatsonfeetsmail@gmail.org

Eats On Feets Facebook page – Western Australia Chapter

https://www.facebook.com/EOFWesternAUS/info/?ref=page_internal

Other resources:

Human Milk 4 Human Babies - Western Australia

https://www.facebook.com/hm4hbwestaust/

Perth mothers share breast milk online to feed babies

http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/perth-mothers-share-breast-milk-online-to-feed-babies-20160407-go0roc.html

King Edward Memorial Hospital - PREM Bank

In August 2006, Perth’s King Edward Memorial Hospital made history becoming the first official breast milk bank to open in Australia. Since then it has proved a phenomenal success. In 2011, some 3000 litres of milk had been donated by more than 350 women for some 650 pre-term babies.

http://www.kemh.health.wa.gov.au/services/PREM_Bank/

Mothers Milk Bank Charity

"The Mothers Milk Bank Charity giving food to the hungry, hope to the needy, life to a baby because we can!"

http://www.mothersmilkbank.com.au

Breast Milk Banks in Australia

https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/practical-parenting/baby/a/8806508/breastmilk-banks-in-australia/

Australian Breast Feeding Association

Milk sharing, milk handling and ‘contamination’ of breast milk

https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/milk-sharing-milk-handling-and-‘contamination’-breastmilk

The Conversation

Banking on breast milk best for sick infants

“Wet nursing dates back to 2250BC and is still practiced in indigenous communities where it may provide the best option for a baby whose mother is unable to breastfeed.

The first human milk bank was established in Vienna in 1905. Community-based breast milk banks operated in Australia until the 1980s. But when it became evident that HIV may be transmitted via breast milk they promptly closed down.

The first formal human milk bank in Australia was established in 2005 at King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth.”

http://theconversation.com/banking-on-breast-milk-best-for-sick-infants-324

What makes a good Intending Parent?

At all the information events we attend, there is always a presentation about what makes a good surrogate. I wanted to explore what makes a good Intending Parent? (arranging parent, commissioning parent, etc)

There are the legal requirements of what makes an Intending Parent, the law is different in every state of Australia.  If you are an Intending Parent, I can only recommend investigating the relevant legislation. In Australia paying for a surrogate is illegal do not get confused with information from different jurisdictions that have different rules. 

I hate to say it, but you need to have sufficient financial security to start a journey that does not necessarily have a guaranteed outcome. The emotional distress of starting a journey you cannot pay for will not only cause emotional distress for you but many others.

I do not want to underestimate the importance of legal and financial impacts but I am particularly interested in the personal characteristics, the inner strength it takes to be Intending Parents.

Hope – you have to have an endless bucket of hope that you can draw on during this journey. There are so many different hurdles.

Tenacity – you will need to have the strength to keep going, even when you probably think you cannot.

Trust – have the ability to put aside prejudices and have the faith that someone else is beautiful enough to help you.

Grace – people may say silly things to you, you must have the patience and grace to ignore their negative comments and focus on the positives

Patience – this complex process will not happen quickly and there are not guarantees.  It is essential to build the relationship with your surrogate, especially in Australia as surrogacy must be altruistic.

Good relationship – you and your partner will be put under incredible stress, it is so important that you have a solid relationship, and you know how to look after each other

Good communication skills - this does not mean you have to talk all the time, but you do have to have the ability to keep good communication with your surrogate, no matter what happens.

Interesting Links:

Forming a Relationship with your Gestational Surrogate during Pregnancy

“First thing’s first – talk, talk, and then talk some more. You can’t talk too much when you are in the discovery phase of selecting a gestational surrogate. Once your surrogate mother is selected treat her how you’d like to be treated.”

https://www.fertilitysourcecompanies.com/forming-a-relationship-with-your-gestational-surrogate-during-pregnancy/

Advice from a Surrogate to Intended Parents

“Each new milestone in the pregnancy will bring with it a modicum of relief, but it is perfectly normal not to feel completely at ease until your little one is finally in your arms. Celebrate each step forward, and share your joys—and your fears—with your surrogate.”

“Have faith in the trust that you’ve given to her ability to carry a safe and healthy pregnancy.”

http://www.blogher.com/advice-surrogate-intended-parents

Meet the surrogacy community

It is sad, but unfortunately due to finances we cannot attend this awesome event. We have attended events that “Families Through Surrogacy” have hosted in our state and they are always very informative and uplifting.

If you are interested in surrogacy this conference would be an wonderful opportunity to meet like minded people.

Australian Conference 2016

Saturday, 4 June 2016 at 10:00 AM - Sunday, 5 June 2016 at 3:00 PM (AEST)

Hotel Pullman - King George Square Roma St, Brisbane, QLD 4000

http://www.familiesthrusurrogacy.com/australian-conference-june-2016/

Families Through Surrogacy

Organiser of 2016 Australian Surrogacy Conference

Families Through Surrogacy is a non-profit organisation run by parents. We host a website, facebook page and promote best-practice in surrogacy as a means to family building. Our mission is to empower intended parents to make  informed decisions  about  how they create their families.

Families Through Surrogacy runs annual  best-practice seminars and conferences in North America, Europe and Australia.

Compassionate Society

I love that the surrogacy community is so compassionate and actively works against the neo-liberalist trends in our society. It is lovely to see that there are people in this world that are able to support and help others. It is integral to a type of community I want to be part of.

Leading UK psychoanalyst Dr David Morgan, speaks with Philip Adams about the consequences of creating a society of winners and losers - one where cruelty is rationalised and empathy regarded as weak. Dr Morgan tells Phillip about the 'emotional toxicity' caused by neoliberal thinking.

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/is-neo-liberalism-making-us-sick/7405930

This year at the Logie Award Hall, Noni Hazlehurst was entered into the Hall of Fame. She has graced Australia’s television screens for over 40 years as an actress and presenter, including more than two decades on children's favourite Play School.

When Hazlehurst accepted her award, she gave an impassioned speech that called on a more diverse television industry, and a more compassionate society.

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/noni-hazlehurst/7404174

The Extraordinary Making of You

Michael Mosely's, "Countdown to Life: The Extraordinary Making of You" is great.

100 trillion cells. 280 days. One human life.

The making of you

Your story didn’t begin when you were born.

Before you took your first breath, your appearance and much of your ‘instinctive’ behaviour had already been formed. Exactly how you spent the nine months developing from a microscopic cell to a human baby helped make you who you are today.

The website has an amazing slide show from conception through to birth. It also looks at nine things that shape your identity before birth.

The series was visually fabulous and informative.